Garret Yoshimi named VP for information technology and CIO

Technology executive Garret Yoshimi has been appointed to serve as the vice president for information technology and chief information officer (VPIT/CIO) of the University of Hawaiʻi System. The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents approved Yoshimi’s appointment in a meeting on December 4.

The VPIT/CIO is responsible for UH systemwide information technology systems and services and provides executive leadership in collaboratively setting forth the overall vision, goals, strategies and plans for the effective and appropriate use of information technologies to advance the UH System.

Yoshimi most recently served as the vice president and chief operating officer for eWorld Enterprise Solutions and brings to the university more than 35 years of experience in information technology in both the public and private sector in Hawaiʻi. He has served as the first CIO for the Hawaiʻi Judiciary, senior technology executive for the East-West Center and CIO for DTRIC Insurance.

Yoshimi also previously served as telecommunications manager before being promoted to director of technology infrastructure for the University of Hawaiʻi. He actively represented the University of Hawaiʻi in state and national venues as a member of EDUCAUSE, Internet2 and the Association for College and University Technology Advancement (ACUTA), which awarded him the Bill D. Morris award for individual leadership.

A native of Honolulu, Yoshimi earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and a graduate certificate in telecommunications and information resource management from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

UH President David Lassner said, “Garret is an outstanding IT leader and I am very pleased that he has agreed to join our team. His broad IT experience, understanding of higher education issues and vision for the future will be instrumental in moving the university and state forward.”

Yoshimi said, “The chance to return to the University of Hawaiʻi and follow in David’s footsteps is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. Having worked in the UH system, I can appreciate this chance to create change by leveraging technologies to benefit multiple communities, including students, faculty and staff. Together, we can promote innovative uses of technologies in teaching and learning as well as research, while supporting broader community efforts to benefit the entire State of Hawaiʻi.”

Yoshimi was recommended for the appointment to the VPIT/CIO position after a comprehensive, nationwide search. He succeeds Steve Smith who has been serving as interim VPIT/CIO since September 2013 and will return to his permanent position as associate vice president for information technology.

Yoshimi’s appointment is effective on January 5, 2015 and is subject to renewal based on satisfactory annual evaluations.